Managing Your Career as an Employee

How to become the next Steve Jobs is probably not one of your most pressing career management concerns. Most likely your concern is a more earthly issue such as asking for a promotion or dealing with a bad boss. Knowing what to do, and what not to do in these situations can mean the difference between happy and fulfilling employment and job misery. ExpertBeacon’s career management experts will guide you through a plethora of career management challenges such as controlling negative emotions, surviving job burnout, receiving a bad performance review, and transitioning from peer to new manager.

Whether you are entering the job market right out of school or after a victory lap in Europe or South America, here are some important dos and don’ts to get you off to a powerful start in the world of work. With a positive attitude, enthusiastic approach to work, maintaining your child-like curiosity and back to school mentality, you will quickly be respected, admired and sought after in the work place. It is just as important to avoid conflict and politics, to not allow subversives to get to you, and to not be afraid that work is work.

Cash NickersonPresident, PDS Tech, Inc.

Steven Cash Nickerson, JD ’85, MBA ’93
Cash Nickerson is president and a principal of PDS Tech, Inc., a position he has held for 11 years. PDS is the one of the largest engineering and IT staffing firms in the United States, employing more...

Your professional brand is a reflection of how people perceive you and what you are known for. Developing your brand comes not only from your professional accomplishments, but also from your interactions with those you work with - including co-workers, clients, and partner organizations. A strong brand can help you become the person in demand that everyone wants to work with and will put you in charge of your career.

Laurie Morse-DellSocial Media and Personal Branding Coach

Extensive experience in strategic marketing with over a decade working to promote small businesses, government agencies, non-profits and international corporations. I have created unique and successful marketing campaigns that increase sales and...

Individuals across the U.S. are reporting continued difficulty managing their stress. According to the APA’s Stress in America Survey (2013), twenty percent of Americans are experiencing high, unhealthy levels of stress (8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale). Organizations are also noticing an increasing number of employees taking time off from work due to stress and burnout, in the form of sick days in mild cases, and short-term disability in more extreme cases. A chronic high-level of stress is considered a key risk factor for developing burnout. What is burnout, you may be wondering?

Dana Gionta, Ph.D.Psychologist, Executive Coach, Public Speaker

Dr. Gionta is a clinical psychologist, executive coach and organizational consultant with a diverse professional background in business, psychology, coaching and health. She specializes in leadership and team development, stress management, self...

Selfishness is one of those words that connotes all sorts of negative things. Usually of a spoiled, self-centred person with no concept of reality or of anyone else. But to be fair, selfishness does have many virtues that we seldom acknowledge. Being selfish is a natural human trait. In fact, it is one of the reasons we not only survived but thrived as a species. It means we looked out for ourselves and our own and hey, we are all here today because of it.

Kieran FlanaganCCO, Speaker and Author of Selfish, Scared and Stupid

Few people understand what makes people ‘buy’ or ‘buy in’ better than Kieran Flanagan.
For over twenty years, Kieran Flanagan has been a transformational leader in the creative industries. A Behavioral Researcher & Strategist, she is an auth...

Much of life is spent at work -- finally take charge of your work, and your life. All it takes is learning how to own your career. Know what you want, get focused, and don’t ever let anybody tell you what you want. Your goals are attainable, and now is the time to start working towards them.

Numerous recent studies have identified the workplace as a primary and growing source of stress. If you are one of the millions of workers looking to reduce work-related stress, here are several practical strategies — from managing your schedule to changing your thought processes — that will lower not just stress but also your risk of the physical conditions and ailments that often result.

Todd R DonalsonDirector of Training and Consultation

Todd Donalson is a licensed professional clinical counselor with more than 20 years of experience as a counselor and workplace consultant. He regularly provides training for employees and leaders of both small business and Fortune 100 companies ...

There’s an American tradition of talented individuals singlehandedly blazing a trail to success. Among the mythmakers are Steve Jobs, J.K. Rowling and Muhammad Ali.

The reality is a bit different: Jobs performed his magic with Steve Wozniak (at least at the outset), Rowling leaned on her editors and corporate marketing, and Ali relied on a man in his corner named Angelo Dundee. These business, literary and sports stars weren’t created in a vacuum. They had help.

Michael KerriganFounder and President

Michael Kerrigan is founder and president of LifeTime Services, LLC, and LifeTimeCareer.net.
He has been a career coach since 2004 and has worked directly with more than 1,000 people in some phase of job development or employment transition.
...

Nobody thinks about what would happen during a layoff. Regardless of the reason, unless the entire company is shutting down, you can’t help stop asking questions about why you were chosen over someone else, and more importantly, what happens next? The following tips can help you manage the initial steps of surviving a layoff.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

It’s easier to find another job when you already have one. Being employed is a plus, giving a prospective employer comfort that an applicant has already been successful and has gained some experience in a particular field. Finding a new job with your current employer may not be as easy as finding one with a new employer, for several reasons. Unlike an outside applicant, your current employer knows a lot about your habits, performance, attitude, and productivity. It’s difficult to embellish your strengths and hide your weaknesses.

Mary Nestor-Harper, MJNH Consulting, is an author, prolific writer and consultant on business, human resources and leadership, and an award winning speaker. She has delivered human resources, management and customer service training in 43 of the...

The tech field is a notoriously testosterone driven environment. People are aggressive, to the point, and everything is changing constantly. It is the type of environment where you have to have confidence to survive. Women are still few and far between the top ranks of most tech companies. In fact, according to the annual Study of California Women Business Leaders, fewer than one in twenty-eight of the highest paid tech executives is a woman. Women have the intelligence and the creative thinking that tech needs. However, women have to learn how to adapt to this environment.

Melissa LamsonPresident and CEO

Melissa Lamson is a sought after consultant who accelerates the goals of today's business leaders by shaping global mindsets and developing cultural continuity in organizations. Through innovative methods, experienced consultation and customized...

Salespeople who are required to make phone calls often experience trepidation. If you are required to make outbound calls for appointments, you may experience a common problem. At some point in your career, you may feel like you cannot make one more call. Perhaps you feel as if what you’re doing is not working, which leads to what is often referred to as “call reluctance.” Or your most recent bout of calls did not result in success, so you feel defeated before you even begin dialing the following Monday morning.

Gail B. GoodmanPresident

Gail B. Goodman is the recognized national expert on telephone skills training. Gail has developed a structured analysis of the appointment setting phone call so that all direct sales people can master this critical skill. Being a great sales pe...

It’s good practice to do a job search once a year just to confirm that you are where you want to be. The process will teach you the important life lesson to manage your career through conscious choice. Are you ready to conduct a career check-in? Follow this advice to guide your way.

Tami PalmerFounder

I'm Tami, greyzone's Founder. I'm a Mom, best-friend, big sister and a boss rolled into one. I have worked in the staffing and human resources management industries for over 15 years and held leadership roles at ACT 1 Personnel, SpectraLink and ...

It should be intuitive that if you are not adding value to your company, it won’t be long before your presence is no longer required. However, unexamined routine can lead to complacency and infuse a task with a greater significance than it may actually warrant. Hence, you might not see the Ax Man Cometh.

Catherine McGuinessManaging Director

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Catherine graduated with a BA in English Literature from Fordham College. Building a career in executive recruiting from London to New York and ultimately Austin, TX, her work experience spans global execu...

As a manager, one of the most impactful management tasks is creating and delivering performance reviews to your direct reports. This is a task that needs to be done on a regular basis so that both management and employees are aware of how they are performing in line with corporate goals and expectations. This task becomes more difficult when the employee is not performing at an acceptable level. The following advice should assist you in delivering a negative review in a positive light.

Michelle BenjaminCEO and founder of Benjamin Enterprises and Pivot Partners

With more than two decades of operational and management experience, Michelle Benjamin has developed a talent management process to save businesses up to 35% off their labor budgets. Her system integrates talent, technology, and processes to con...

There are many reasons why people leave employers. Sometimes the reason is due to a difficult work environment thanks to disruptive workers or a micromanaging boss. In other cases it’s the job itself – either a new and better opportunity comes along or the duties have changed so much that the very thought of sticking around is like nails on a chalkboard. And of course there are other personal reasons like illness or moving to a new area.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

Can you be happy in your career? Really happy? Skip to the shower on Mondays kinda happy? Yep. Sure, it’s hard work and it takes vigilance, self awareness and the willingness to take some risks. But being unhappy at work is also hard work. Pick your poison. What does career happiness actually mean to you, in other words, can you define it? And after you have defined it, do you know how to get it? Before you crawl back in bed and put the covers over your head, here are some tips to get you on your way down the road.

Julie BaukeCareer Strategist & President

Julie is a Career Strategist and President of The Bauke Group. She believes we all deserve to be “Career Happy,” and her business focuses on educating and motivating individuals to take charge of their careers. She is a dynamic speaker who has p...

No doubt about it, the concept of a corporate lifer has become a thing of the past. Americans are no longer staying at the same job for 40 years. In fact, on average, Americans between 18-44 years old held 11 jobs between 1978 and 2008. Here are some surprising statistics on the current state of the workforce:

Gail Tolstoi-MillerCEO

Gail Tolstoi-Miller, a graduate of NYU, has worked in the recruiting field for more than 15 years. She serves dual CEO roles at Consultnetworx, a consulting firm and Speednetworx, a B2B speed networking event company.
Recognized for her innov...

Establishing mutual respect and making sure you can both trust each other is essential when trying to get along with your coworkers. When there is an office bully, there are certain techniques and ways you should approach them when trying to come to an agreement so that both of your goals are met, and you establish a positive work environment. Disarm the office bully with this expert advice that will serve as solid negotiating skills for any conflict resolution.

Mary Lee GannonPresident

With more than 16 years of experience as the President of organizations with up to $26 million in assets, Mary Lee Gannon helps people reinvent their lives, organizations and businesses so that they can have a lucrative and balanced life. She is...

Elisa Robyn, PhDAssistant Dean of School of Humanities and Social SciencesRegis University

The decision to return to school should not be taken lightly. Adults usually want to return to college to improve the chances of earning a promotion, or of obtaining work or changing careers. This might entail completing an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree. With so many choices, how does an adult decided what to do or where to go?

Elisa Robyn, PhDAssistant Dean of School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr. Elisa Robyn has a diverse academic and professional background. She has a Masters degree in Geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and spent six years working for a major oil company as an exploration/well-site geologist. ...

The holidays represent a special time to take a moment to acknowledge and give thanks to family and friends. In a corporate setting, the meaning is no different. Holiday parties are meant to celebrate the accomplishments of the year, allow leaders to give thanks for the hard work of their employees, and to get everyone excited about all the opportunities possible for the business in the New Year.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

Landing a new job is a great feeling; however, it’s only the beginning. The real job interview begins when you start working and offers the true test of aligning your profile to the employer’s requirements and culture. The pressure of “drinking from the firehouse” can be daunting, but you can follow a few steps to ensure you lay the right foundation for you exciting new opportunity.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

Moving up in your job is a natural progression of experience and time. As you expand your capabilities both personally and professionally it makes sense to channel your strengths into higher-level positions that supply you with more responsibilities, organizational positioning, money and self-satisfaction. Climbing the corporate ladder, of course, requires preparation and planning to ensure that your boss and others support your growth and advancement.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

We can sometimes feel that the challenges of the workplace are too great and we look for an escape. Perhaps we opt out because we don’t believe we can get ahead. Ambitious women can step up and take control of their success. Here are some things you need to do and need to avoid doing to get ahead.

Bonnie Marcus M.Ed, CECExecutive coach, speaker, author

Bonnie Marcus M.Ed. is a certified executive coach, speaker and author. A former corporate executive, Bonnie founded her firm, Women’s Success Coaching, in 2007 with the mission to help professional women promote and position themselves for succ...

If you’re ambitious and want to build an exciting career, you’ll look at each job as a stepping stone to the next great opportunity. You can learn to leverage each job to get the most advantage if you pay attention to the dos and don'ts of maximizing opportunities on your way up the career ladder.

Mary Nestor-Harper, MJNH Consulting, is an author, prolific writer and consultant on business, human resources and leadership, and an award winning speaker. She has delivered human resources, management and customer service training in 43 of the...

Dr. Paul WhitePsychologist, Author, Speaker and ConsultantAppreciation At Work

Is someone in your workplace wreaking havoc and no matter what anyone says or does, their behavior is just getting more intense and discordant? Sometimes we may find ourselves feeling the contagion of their negativity and become thoroughly bewildered by behaviors that make no sense.

Dr. Paul WhitePsychologist, Author, Speaker and Consultant

Dr. White graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wheaton College, earned his Masters of Counseling from Arizona State University, and received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. For the past twenty years, he has improved n...

From Facebook to Twitter, Google+ to Instagram, social media has exploded in the last decade. While many people use these different channels, and many more, in their personal lives, they have been slower to incorporate social media as part of their business strategy.

If you are a working professional, a professional in search of new opportunities, or run a business, there’s one social media channel in particular that you should not overlook -- LinkedIn.

Susan R. MillerPresident

Susan R. Miller is a veteran journalist and public relations professional with 30 years of experience. She launched her own South Florida-based public relations firm in 2013. Her clients include attorneys, healthcare professionals and nonprofit ...

If you are feeling stressed, exhausted, or disillusioned by the many competing demands you face as a working parent, you are not alone. Workforce studies report that enhanced work-life balance represents an important opportunity for increasing employee job satisfaction and well-being. While employers are working on finding ways to increase work-life balance, there are also things you can do to help improve your work-life balance.

Nancy Aragon, Ph.DProfessor, Industrial/Organizational Psychology

I invite you to visit my LinkedIn page to learn more about my background education, experience, and recent career activities....

Diving into the business world is something that many people do at some point when they’re young and then their careers take them down a variety of paths. But there are some solid pieces of advice that can be helpful to almost any 20-something or 30-something that should make any career easier and more rewarding.

Andrew L. SimonPartner

Andrew L. Simon is partner and member of the SAMC professional consulting staff. He specializes in working with startups and early stage companies, as well as helping established companies open up new markets. Mr. Simon’s experience and expertis...

Recently, a great deal of attention is being focused on workplace bullies because they cost companies money due to less productivity. Psychologists refer to bullies as people who psychologically harass others or emotionally abuse employees and co-workers in a repeated effort to wound someone psychologically with words and actions. While it can be difficult to manage a workplace bully, it is possible.

Mary Jo Rapini LPCLicensed Professional Counselor

Mary Jo Rapini is a licensed certified intimacy/sex relationship psychotherapist in private practice. Mary Jo serves as an intimacy/sex therapist for hospitals and clinics and evaluates patients for bariatric surgery in the Houston area. She wa...

Lydia RamseyInternational business etiquette expert, professional speaker and authorManners That Sell

One thing you can count in the modern workplace is the obligatory office party. It may be the summer picnic or the Christmas/Hanukkah holiday celebration. Regardless of the size of the organization, there is always an effort at some time during the year to bring employees together for a good time. Some people look forward to the chance to mix and mingle outside the confines of business and others would rather give up the annual bonus than have to spend precious personal time with the gang from work.

Lydia RamseyInternational business etiquette expert, professional speaker and author

I founded Manners That Sell 15 years ago after working in the healthcare industry, the non-profit community, the retail sector and hospitality world. In all of those arenas as well as in daily life, I recognized the need for people to hone their...

Invariably there are moments where you will have to say no to your boss. The reasons could be due to your inability to add yet another task to your workload or it could be due to a disagreement over a decision your boss made. Regardless of the circumstances, approaching the conversation can create anxiety depending on the relationship with your boss and the cultural norms of your work environment. Saying no requires the right mental framework that is both professional and respectful. The following tips can help you make the right moves when saying no to your boss.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

Do you feel that fear and rejection have impacted your sales career? Fear and rejection are quite a common challenge for salespeople making cold calls. As a matter of fact, it’s natural for a human being to shy away for situations where they experience fear and rejection. But for salespeople that have to make cold calls for their work, you have to learn to overcome these feelings to be effective at your job. Here is some advice on how to overcome these to paralyzing emotions.

Dan Lier is a human behavior expert, best-selling author and internationally recognized motivational speaker. With two decades of experience and performing over 3,500 customized live presentations in over 30 countries, Dan’s customized high-ener...

Whether starting a new job or continuing at your current position, it is beneficial to know how to outline and execute personal growth in the workplace. Here is some expert advice for employees and executives about mapping their career development.

Amar DhaliwalSenior Vice President, Client Success

Amar Dhaliwal has more than 15 years of Human Capital Management (HCM) and enterprise software experience, and a track record of delivering innovation and a strong customer focus. Prior to his technology career, Dhaliwal worked for a number of g...

Moving from job to job is a smart career move if done properly. Some people call this practice job-hopping, but one needs to be careful to ensure that they aren’t ruining their resume and/or their long-term career goals by moving from job to job too much. Here is some expert advice to help you job-hop for a higher salary and possibly more responsibility.

John FrancisPresident

21 years recruitment and assessment experience, president and managing partner of ACareerJob and Theonera Inc., Human Resource professional association member....

The value of an internship in today’s competitive marketplace cannot be overstated, especially for new graduates. More and more companies require or prefer practical work experience, even for “entry level” positions. Securing the right internship for you, and making the most of this experience can set you up for a potential short or long term opportunity at that company, as well as increase your marketability in securing a position at another company in your target niche.

Emily WestermanCareer and Healthy Lifestyle Coach

For more than a decade Emily Westerman has provided counseling, coaching, programming and services to support working professional and students at all career levels across a wide range of industries in navigating the career exploration, career t...

As you embark on the path to building a credible professional image, it is time to trade in exposed boxers for belted trousers and flip flops for finesse in your appearance and behavior. Discover the ways you can enhance your image and personal brand while building a strong reputation based on respect, personal responsibility, and considerate conduct for others. “Nothing succeeds like the appearance,of success,” says Christopher Lasch.

Yasmin Anderson-SmithPresident

Yasmin Anderson-Smith is a certified image management and personal branding coach, trainer and author. Combining experience, passion, inspiration and a focus on civility, Yasmin empowers business women, young professionals and college students t...

Are you motivated to succeed in your career? If not, why not? If your answer even hints at your lack of motivation being someone else’s fault, well, I think we may have found the problem. Despite the bazillion or so books that have been written on how to motivate others, the fact is, your motivation is in large part your responsibility. Not only will your ability and willingness to motivate yourself in your professional life undoubtedly lead to greater achievement, you will experience a greater sense of control and yes, even career happiness.

Julie BaukeCareer Strategist & President

Julie is a Career Strategist and President of The Bauke Group. She believes we all deserve to be “Career Happy,” and her business focuses on educating and motivating individuals to take charge of their careers. She is a dynamic speaker who has p...

When performance review time rolls around, everyone’s interest and investment in the process is piqued because it has meaning and impact for all involved. The outcome is important not only for the individual being evaluated, but also for the supervising individual, because their involvement in the process will reflect upon their own performance. With so much riding on it, the performance evaluation deserves attention and respect, because nothing is more effective in growing people and organizations than a thoughtful and well-honed performance review process.

Dr. Wanda Gravett is a faculty member in Walden University’s Masters in Human Resource Management program in the College of Management and Technology. In addition to completing doctoral studies in this discipline, Dr. Gravett’s background includ...

Are difficult colleagues becoming too much for you to handle? In order to be diplomatic, you should employ this simple advice to help you confront and deal with an office bully.

Frances CoombesWriter, NLP Coach, NLP Trainer and Online Coach

Frances Coombes is a writer, NLP Coach, NLP Trainer and on-line coach. She teaches NLP strategy elicitation at the City Lit in London. Details e-mail me on admin@francescoombes.com
Frances Coombes latest book on motivation and strategy elicit...

Maintaining emotional composure in the workplace is not only widely regarded as appropriate behavior, but is also expected in the professional setting. Like most expected behaviors, there are ramifications if inappropriate emotional outbursts occur. When emotions rise, ideally, one would keep their composure, not showing emotional strain or distress until an appropriate time presents itself.

Reporting to a difficult boss is stressful and impacts your productivity. Some bosses act like bullies and demean their staff; others are more indirect and act indifferently or completely ignore team members. When the communication is really poor, knowing how to change your approach with your boss is critical to establishing boundaries and promoting the proper working relationship. Below are some tips to help you improve your relationship with a difficult boss.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

Do you feel like the energy and passion for your work is starting to fade? Are you irritable toward others and struggling to come to work every day, only to perform tasks that seem routine and mind-numbing?

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

Research continues to show that the relationship with one’s boss is a key element of engagement and productivity, yet getting fully aligned with the boss’s needs and point of view can be a struggle.

The challenge often lies in the perceptions that fuel what an employee thinks his or her boss deems important, versus what the boss actually considers important. When the perceptions align with the outputs, the boss-employee relationship flourishes and results match expectations. When things are less rosy, the results can be disastrous.

Tony DeblauweWorkplace and Career Expert

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace and Career Expert and founder of consulting firm, HR4Change. He has over 15 years’ experience working in high-tech companies supporting Human Resources, Organizational Development, Talent Management, and Training. H...

You receive a bad performance review. What do you do? After you have been a go-getter at work. Your performance reviews since you began working for this company have been very good. Your first boss appreciated your initiative and interest in approaching challenges from new directions, and has given you good job evaluations in the past.